What is a Resonant Drumhead?

The resonant drumhead is the bottom drumheadon each of your drums… It’s the drumhead you don’t hit, and it’s the opposite of the batter head (which is the one you do hit).

Resonant drumheads, shown here.

The resonant head resonates when the batter head is hit: It vibrates to give the drum more sustain and tone, and it also helps with volume and projection.

Your resonant head has a big influence on your drum’s overall sound, and part of its job is to act like an equalizer for the drum: Different resonant head types and tunings will bring out different frequencies in the overall drum sound.

You can quickly hear how your resonant head influences your drum sound by muting or removing it:

Hit your tom batter head while your hand covers the tom’s resonant head, then try it again without your hand choking the drum.

Take off the resonant head and things will sound very different.

As you’re putting the resonant head back on, listen to how the sound changes as you tune it from low, to medium, to higher tension.

When you do these tests, you should notice how your drum sound big, full, and rings out nicely when the resonant head is free to vibrate properly.

Note: Tuning plays an important role here, and we’ve got more information on that later.

Freedom to resonate is a very important thing for your resonant drumheads, and it’s critical that they stay in very good condition to be able to do so.

This brings us to the next important point:

The resonant drumhead is the one that you don’t hit… In fact, it’s important not to hit it.

Why Shouldn’t I Hit My Resonant Drumheads?

Damaging your resonant heads (with stick marks, dents, tape reside, etc.) will make them more difficult to tune, and will alter their sound.

You’ll end up with less sustain, tuning issues, and drums that can sound dull and lifeless.

Resonant heads need to be in like-new shape to vibrate to their full potential. A light tap while tuning is okay, but never play them like you’d play a batter drumhead.

Resonant heads will also naturally wear out over time, even if you don’t hit them. This is because they’re constantly being “hit” by vibrations from the batter head… This slowly affects them, meaning they won’t perform as well as they should. More on this soon!

Almost all of the tom and bass resonant drumheads we’ll cover below are also batter heads – in most cases they can be used as either. Generally though, you’ll want to avoid resonant drumheads that are extremely thick and/or extremely dampened.

So yes, you can definitely use batter heads on the resonant side, but there’s a limit to how thick or dampened they can be (especially on smaller drums). Further down the page, we’ll cover a lot more on this. In most cases, thin or medium-weight batter heads are the standard resonant head choice.

What’s The Best Resonant Drumhead?

Don’t believe anyone that simply says “this is the best resonant drumhead” without telling you what sound and situation it’s best for. It depends on personal taste, and the sound you want.

It’s like asking “what’s the best food” – it all comes down to taste, and you’ll get different answers from everyone you ask.

So let’s get a little more focused:

There are some quick questions you can ask yourself you find the best resonant drumhead for you:

Choosing the best resonant drumhead:
How much sustain (ringing) do you want in your drums?

The sustain you can achieve from resonant drumheads follows an inverse U-shape based on thickness. That means that very thin and very thick heads won’t hold their sustain as much as moderately thick heads:

Moderately thick resonant heads are best for a lot of sustain. They’re thick enough to hold a strong sustain, but not so thick that they choke it.

Very thick resonant heads are harder to fully activate. Thick material takes a lot more force to get a really strong sustain, and can “choke” itself more easily due to the extra weight. If you’re a hard hitter, thick drumheads can have the potential to produce a big sustain, but you’ll have to hit them like you really mean it.

Choosing the best resonant drumhead:
Do you want a bright, warm, or in-between (balanced) drum sound?

Thinner resonant drumheads are best for a brighter (higher-pitched) overall sound.

Medium-weight resonant heads are a nice middle ground with good balance across all frequencies.

Thicker resonant drumheads are best for a warmer (darker) sound. Coated drumheads will also put more focus on warmer tones.

In general, the thicker the drumhead, the more emphasis you’ll have on the midrange and lower frequencies.

Choosing the best resonant drumhead:
Do you want drums focused on one pitch, or more complex tones?

For more focus, choose thicker or coated resonant drumheads, or heads with built-in dampening (like the Evans EC Tom Reso). These reduce overtones, producing a more focused sound.

Alternatively, choose thin or clear resonant drumheads without built-in dampening for more complex tones. Tune them right, and theses overtones can sound very musical.

Keep in mind that your batter head type and tuning will also contribute a lot to the your drum’s focus.

Tip: If you’re just starting out and have no idea which resonant drumheads to buy, go for general-purpose heads that will give you versatility: 10 mil (medium-weight) resonant drumheads with no built-in dampening are a great choice here. They have a balanced sound, they’re usable across almost all styles of music, and they have a fairly strong sustain.